BEVERLY HILLS, California — Marion "Suge" Knight says Death Row Records is history — literally.

The recently freed rap impresario says Death Row now refers only to the catalog of songs by such artists as Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre. Knight will move forward with a new label name, Tha Row, and a crop of young, street-savvy MCs and R&B singers.

He discussed his plans with MTV News' Chris Connelly in a suite at L'Ermitage Hotel on Wednesday. Holding a cigar, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound record mogul wore a white terrycloth track outfit with red piping and a platinum, jewel-encrusted handcuff on his right wrist (for a transcript, see [article id="1446517"]"Suge Knight Talks About Freedom, Tha Row And Who Killed Tupac"[/article]).

"It's always going to be Death Row, because of the catalog," Knight said. "The catalog is what you call the past. Now it's Tha Row. I feel like Death Row Records was great; it was fun. But a lot of the people [who left] lost their soul."

Knight was released from prison Monday after serving five years for violating probation. He assaulted Orlando Anderson, a reputed gang member, in a Las Vegas hotel hours before his star rapper, Tupac, was mortally wounded in a drive-by shooting in September 1996. The assault violated Knight's probation on his conviction for attacking two rappers at a Los Angeles recording studio in 1992, as well as his probation in a federal case in which he pleaded no contest in 1995 to trafficking firearms (see [article id="1446415"]"Suge Knight Speaks Upon Leaving Prison For Death Row"[/article]).

Anderson was later named a suspect in Tupac's murder, though he was never charged. He was killed in a shootout in Compton, California, in 1998 (see [article id="250317"]"Former Tupac Shakur Murder Suspect Killed In Shooting"[/article]).

Death Row Records held the monopoly in gangsta rap for much of the '90s, but then suffered a series of blows — Shakur's death, Knight's incarceration and the departures of Snoop Dogg and co-founder Dr. Dre. While its controversial CEO was behind bars, the label signed a string of lesser-known acts, and maintained a presence by releasing posthumous Shakur albums and compilations of old material by its former stars.

The label is on the charts this week with Tha Dogg Pound 2002, featuring Tupac, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Nate Dogg.

While gangsta rap will remain Tha Row's chief focus, Knight said he plans to establish the label as a force in R&B with artists such as J. Valentine. Death Row previously tried to break into soul music by luring the likes of Mary J. Blige and Jodeci, but had no luck.

"We got some great R&B stuff coming, definitely," said Knight, who listened to old-school R&B, including Al Green, Sam Cooke, Gladys Knight and the Isley Brothers, while he was locked up. "You have J. Valentine, a 19-year old, a real youngster who does not pretend to be the image that some record company gave him. ... He's being himself."

As for hip-hop, Knight claimed he has found a successor to Tupac and Snoop: Los Angeles rapper Crooked I. Knight calls Crooked I, now recording his debut, Untouchable, "the best in the West."

Knight said he plans to find talent by going to the ghetto and looking for young MCs who live their rhymes.

"Guys 35 or 40 years old and married with four or five kids and still talking [about ghetto life] and can't go to the ghetto ... it's their job to retire," he said. "Get out the way! Let these 18-year-old, 19-year-old kids get their opportunity, and that's my whole thing.

"My thing's about giving opportunities to the people who I feel deserve it, and that's the people in the inner city, the ghetto."

Though Death Row Records had a distribution deal with Interscope until mid-1997, the company is no longer linked to a major label. Knight said Tha Row, which now has distribution deals with Ron Winters Productions and DNA, can thrive without the Big Five.

"I wouldn't say I would hook up with a major, and I wouldn't say I wouldn't," he said. "But I'll tell you this — I'm prepared to do it on my own."

Asked why an artist should sign with Tha Row, Knight said the label offers longevity and stability.

"Ten years from now, I'm still gonna be doing what I'm doing," he said. "And if I choose to, 50 years from now, if I was still around in 50 years, I'd still be able to have a number-one rapper on the charts.

"Can't nobody compare themselves to Suge Knight as an executive."